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NFL Coach Power Rankings: Where Jay Gruden fits in among the 32 coaches

By Jacob Camenker

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /

I think that this is the most reasonable spot to put Jay Gruden. The Redskins head coach doesn’t have the greatest paper resume, especially if you consider his decision to hire Joe Barry as defensive coordinator instead of Wade Phillips, but the work he has done with the Redskins to help them improve cannot be ignored.

When Gruden joined the Redskins, he was fresh off a season in which he had turned Andy Dalton and the Bengals into a top 10 passing offense. Gruden was a highly sought after candidate because of the work he put in with Dalton and his ability to scheme a solid offense around him. The hope was that Gruden would be able to take RG3 to the next level and make the team a contender.

However, Gruden inherited a mess when he got to Washington. RG3 was damaged goods after the injury he suffered in the playoffs. He would only start seven games in the Gruden era before being benched in favor of Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins. This was a controversial choice at the time, but it proved to be the right one.

Related Story: Why Jay Gruden deserves more respect than he gets

In the 2015 offseason, Gruden officially made the switch to Cousins as the starting quarterback. Griffin III would never see action as a Redskin after that. With Cousins at the helm, Gruden secured the team’s first playoff appearance since 2008. The decision to move on from RG3 was a very tough one, but Gruden handled the situation well. And, he turned Cousins into a solid NFL quarterback for three seasons, before Cousins departed for the Vikings in the 2018 offseason.

It’s also worth noting that Gruden led the Redskins to consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 1996-1997 seasons. He created a model of sustained success, and while the team has only made the playoffs once during his tenure, they are on the right track to get there again soon.

It’s fair to question Gruden’s play calling at times. In 2017, he had a couple of baffling calls that didn’t seem to make sense. That said, he’s still a great offensive head coach and he has shown the ability to work with his players to help them improve.

What Gruden has done beyond his ability on the field is create stability within the Redskins organization. During a time that saw Scot McCloughan come on as GM and subsequently get fired, Gruden has held the fort at head coach and provided a guiding light for the team. That cannot be understated, as the Redskins organization has long been considered one of the most dysfunctional units in the NFL.

Yes, Gruden’s 28-35-1 record doesn’t look great. But consider this. Take out the first season,4-12 with a lot of uncertainty at quarterback, and Gruden has a 24-23-1 record. That’s still just average, but considering how injury prone the team was last season, he’s lucky that record isn’t worse. Leading the Redskins to a 7-9 record with 24 players landing on Injured Reserve is unbelievable. So, he deserves credit for that.

If all goes well for the Redskins in 2018 and they can stay healthy, Gruden can lead them to the playoffs. He has a strong offensive mind and should be able to use his personnel to craft a top 10 offense.

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